Circular knitting machine



July 31, 1962 R. PEBERDY CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 26, 1956 July 31, 1962 Filed June 26, 1956 R. PEBERDY CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE L l F492 80- 1 I g; 49

72 o 55 o 3 0 Hlllllll ll 29 85 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Roland Fe. bet-d3 July 31, 1962 R. PEBERDY 3,046,760

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 26, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Pg. 5. j a Q 1/5 I nventar;

land

Filed June 26, 1956, Ser. No. 594,952 Claims priority, application Great Britain June 27, 1955 7 Claims. (Ci. 66-44) This invention is for improvements in or relating to circular knitting machines and knitted articles produced thereby and relates to machines of the opposed needle cylinder type equipped with double ended needles, needlereceiving sliders in the tricks of both cylinders and mechanism for transferring needles as required from one to the other of their sliders in the respective cylinders, such a machine being referred to hereinafter by use of the expression a knitting machine of the type specified. The invention is concerned with the production of patterning effects by variation in the knitted structure of fabrics produced on such machines and has for one of its objects to provide for the production of knitted articles or fabric incorporating a range of patterning eifects the attainment of which has not hitherto been practicable on such machines. r

The invention is particularly concerned with the pr vision of a machine adapted to produce patterning effects in links-links by selective transfer of needles between the plain and rib cylinders supplemented by other patterning features utilizing non-knit selection (i.e'. selection of needles for fioatting or tucking). To achieve such complex patterning procedure a number of practical difficulties have to be overcome. The making of different types of selections to take effect in the same course of knitting, one selection at one point for one kind of patterning and the other at anotherpoint for a different kind of patterning, results in differently selected needles being directed into different tracks at the respective selection points and a principal requirement for purposes of practicability is that 'a needle selected at one point shall not be permitted to be available for selection at the other in order to avoid any possibility of clash between different selecting movements which could result in serious damage to the machine. In addition practical difliculties of other kinds arise as will presently appear.

In certain known machines links-links patterns are made by the procedure of transferring all needles in the bottom or plain cylinder up to the top or rib cylinder and immediately transferring selected needles down again to the bottom cylinder in order to secure the desiredarrangement of plain and rib needles, this procedure being repeated throughout the pattern and the selection of needles to be transferred down to the bottom cylinder being changed periodically by patterning mechanism associated with the top or rib cylinder, usually once in each revolution of the needle cylinders. In other known machines fioat stitch patterns are made by selecting certain needles in a plain or bottom cylinder to miss the yarn at one or another of a plurality of feedpoints, the selected needles being caused to pass the feed point, at which they are to miss the yarn at a low level. Any attempt to combinethese two types of patterning procedure for production of knitted. articles such as footwear having both links-links and float stitch or similar patterning in the same courses introduces at once a number of problems. In the first place to combine selection of needles for links-links patterning made at the top cylinder with selection for non-knit patterning made at the bottom cylinder would require the non-knit selection to be made first and would introduce the possibility of a needle being selected for downward transfer when its bottom slider has been selected to pass along a low level track result- 3,046,769 Patented July 31, 1962 inc ing in the needle being left free, i.e. uncontrolled by and unattached to either of its sliders, and would thereby be liable to cause damage to the machine. Although such an eventuality might only arise from an incorrect setting up of the patterning mechanisms or from the patterning mechanisms becoming incorrectly timed it is important to guard against damage to *a machine arising from such causes. This particular difficulty can be met by making the transfer selection at the bottom or plain cylinder i.e.

the same cylinder at which the selections of needles for non-knitting are made. This permits the bottom sliders of needles which have been transferred to the top or rib cylinder to be segregated for control to ensure that they will always be properly positioned to receive back their needles when the latter are transferred back from the rib cylinder as is necessary each time a transfer selection takes place. Nevertheless it remains necessary to ensure that when a non-knit selection is made to cause a needle to follow a low track such needle is prevented from then becoming selected for transfer to the top or rib cylinder. The invention therefore provides a method and machine whereby transfer selection and another type of patterning selection may be made to take effect in the same course of knitting while avoiding the foregoing and other difliculties.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a method of needle selection for patterning purposes in a kniting machine of the type indicated wherein selection of needles for transfer and non-knitting take place sequentially at the bottom or plain cylinder, and wherein the transfer selection is effected by selecting predetermined needles for non-transfer to the other cylinder and the selection of needles for non-knitting is made in such manher that needles so selected are needles also selected for non-transfer to the other cylinder, the remaining nonselected needles being caused to be transferred to the top or rib cylinder. In carrying out this method the bottom sliders of said remaining non-selected needles on being raised to effect transfer of their needles are caused to be maintained at a high level and to be positioned correctly for receiving back their needles when required to do so. Preferably the selection of needles for non-knitting is made before the selection for non-transfer and is made in such a way that needles selected for non-knitting are thereby selected at the same time for non-transfer. Thus the possibility of the same needle being both selected for non-knitting and also acted on for transfer to the top or rib cylinder is prevented and in addition the risk of a needle becoming detached from both of its sliders is avoided. Preferably the selection of needles for nonknitting is performed by movement of jacks or other instruments associated therewith arid such jacks or other instruments are arranged to have similar movements imparted to them when selections for non-transfer are made. Thus a jack which has been actuated at the non-knitting selection point cannot be actuated again on passing to the transfer selection point and remains set to prevent transfer of its appropriate needle.

The invention also provides a knitting machine" of the type indicated having pattern selecting mechanisms asso ciated with the lower or plain cylinder. The machine is so organized that a first patterning means is adapted to select needles for non-transfer to the upper or rib cylinder and a second patterning means operates to select for non-knitting some of the needles which are not transferred to the upper or rib cylinder. Third patterning means transfer to the upper or rib cylinder all needles not selected by the first and second patterning means. Conveniently the selecting mechanism is arranged to act on jacks or like instruments in the tricks or the lower cylinder co-cperating with the needle sliders therein.

In a convenient construction the needle sliders of the provements.

'said jacks and slidable to operate the latter, said selecting instruments being operated in known manner by cam faces of selecting levers of the patterning mechanisms.

Conveniently a machine in accordance with the invention also includes a cam system whereby the heightwise positions of the jacks or similar instruments'and the needle sliders are controlled to effect appropriatepositioning in, or movement along, their tricks of the needle sliders to effect knitting action, transfer or withholding from knitting action of the needles as required. Such cam system may include means for ensuring that jacks associated with needles which have been transferred to the top or rib cylinder are maintained always in a sufficiently high level track to prevent the jacks from being actuated by selecting mechanisms and to ensure that the appropriate sliders are at a proper height to receive their needles on downward transfer of the latter from the rib cylinder. of needles which have been transferred to the rib cylinder are arranged to have imparted to them an increased elevation at a knitting station to cause the upper ends of the sliders to co-operate with a single latch guard in maintaining the rib latches of the needles fully open.

The invention also provides a tubular knitted article, for example a sock or other hose having patterning effects produced by the aid of links-links or needle transfer selection and selection of needles for non-knit- Conveniently the jacks associated with sliders ting (i.e. float or tuck selection) both in the same course of knitting.

For a fuller understanding of the invention and a pre ferred manner 'of carrying it into effect reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which there is shownby way of example a representative patterned sock and a machine incorporating the present im- In the drawings FIGURE 1 is a view of a sock illustrating a representative form of patterning obtainable in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation view of a circular knitting machine incorporating the invention and FIGURE 3'shows diagrammatically a set of needle sliders and associated'instruments against a developed 7 its related selecting levers is disposed on the far side of A. in the same course. For the patterning effect illustrated the occurrence of the'two types of selection in the same course takes place in a substantial number of courses throughout'the knitting of the sock. FIG. 1 also illnstrates that the sock is made with an un-patterned foot bottom, this being possible bythe use of the improved patterning selection by having the foot bottom knitted in say 1 x 1 rib fabric with the contrasting yarnfed at the auxiliary feeding station knitted only in the rib wales thereby avoiding the'striped effect on the outside of the foot bottom usual with many socks produced by previous methods of pattern selection in which contrasting. yarns are used for patterning the top of the foot.

FIG. 2 illustrates the general construction of a preferred machine by which a sock such as is shown in FIG. 1 can be produced. Suflicient of the machine is shown to enable it to. be identified as 'a knitting ma chine of the type specified. Attention is directed to yarn being fed in at the main station and an auxiliary yarn conveniently of contrasting colour being fed at the auxiliary station. Mechanism indicated generally by the reference 54 of conventional type is provided for controlling the feeder operation and bolt cams at the auxiliary feeding station and is operated from a'crank indi cated at 55.. Associated with the bottom -cylinder and with the main feeding station are two patterningdrums 56 and 57 used respectively for float selection and linkslinks selection. A further similar patterning drum with the machine (and obscured by the cylinders) for-effecting float selection in advance of the auxiliaryknitting station.

view of a preferred form of cam system as seen looking outwards from the needle cylinder.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a sock having a rib top T,

. a'patterned leg. L, a foot portion F the upper part only of which is patterned, and heel and toe pouches H and T respectively. Below the rib top T conveniently of narrow rib fabric the leg consists of wide rib fabric comprising groups of plain walesand interposed groups of rib wales R with superimposed patterning formed by diamonds D and horizontal bars B. .The diamonds D are knitted. throughout from plain loops and their outer and inner parts are of contrasting colours. The bars B are formed of rib or pure loops and may be knitted from the main yarn, .i.e. without any colour contrast. The sock is knitted on a machine having two feeding stations the constrasting yarn forming the outer parts of the diamonds D being fed at an auxiliary station and the inner portions of the diamond being conveniently knitted from the main yarn fed at the main knitting station. .Thus

'the patterning effect to produce the bars B consists of The drums 56 and 57 and the other patterning drum have associated with them banks of selecting levers, of

conventional form (the operative ends of which are shown at 11, 10 and 12 in FIG. 3) for engagementwith butts of instruments in the tricks of cylinder 50. .The

patterning drums are arranged to be racked around in V usual manner and are provided with mechanism such g as indicated generally at 58 and 59 for bringing the drums into and out of racking operation when required, such mechanism being controlled through Bowden cables 60 from appropriate levers 61 in a row thereof actuated by cam follower levers 62 pivoted at 63 and engaging with segments on the periphery of a main control drum 64.

Certain others of the levers 61 and 62 operate push rods 65 and 66 mounted in a bearing plate 67 secured to the plate 47 and serving to actuate various bolt cams in the cam boxes.

Some bolt cams shown at 68-and 68a are actuated from bell crank levers 69 pivoted at 70 to a bracket on the plate 47 and operated by short push rods 65-. Other bolt cams indicated at 71,72 and 73 are actuated by longer push rods 66 which extend through apertures in the plate 46 and operate fulcrum levers 74 pivoted at 75 to a bracket 76 mounted on the top plate 46, the left hand ends of the levers serving to actuate push rod mechanisms77, 78, 79 and 80 associated with the bolt cams concerned. The push rods actuate the bolt cams through bell crank levers two of which are indicated at 81 and 82, the latter being associated with bolt cam 73 in the bottom cam box while the other bolt cams shown as operated from levers 74 are cams of the top cam box. Also operated by one of the sets of levers 61 and 62 from the main control drum 64 is a slidable selector plate 83 associated with the auxiliary feeding station this being actuated to occupy one of a plurality of alternative settings by a Bowden cable not shown extending from The machine has a main feed- 1 ing station disposed on the far side thereof and an auxiliary feeding station at the left of the machine, a main the selector plate 83 to the neighbourhood of the control drum 64 for actuation by one of the levers 61. The selector plate 83 serves to control in conventional manner the racking of cams forming part of the mechanism indicated generally at 54. The machine is also shown as being provided with picker mechanism indicated generally at 84 to effect narrowing and widening in well known manner when the machine performs reciprocatory knitting to form the heel and toe pouches of a sock. In addition there is seen in FIG. 2 a dividing cam 29 supported by posts 85 from brackets 86 secured to the bottom cam box 52.

The improvements effected by the present invention are achieved mainly by the arrangement of the needle sliders and other instruments and the arrangement of the cam systems as shown most clearly in FIG. 3. The machine of 'FIG. 2 has its cylinders conveniently driven to rotate anti-clockwise as viewed from above and as the development of the cam system shown in FIG. 3 is viewed from within thecam box it is appropriate to consider the needle sliders and instruments shown diagrammatically to the right of FIG. 3 as being moved from right to left of that figure during rotation of the cylinders. The cam system illustrated is in many respects of conventional form and as the conventional parts will be readily understood by persons skilled in the knitting art only those cams concerned in the improved patterning procedure will be specifically described. The main and auxiliary feed points are positioned approximately at MF and AF respectively.

In each trick in the lower cylinder and immediately below the slider LS is placed a jack 1 having a butt at each end and capable of rocking on a point 2 at about the cent-re of its length. The butts are so arranged that when one butt is just buried in the trick the butt at the other end is fully projected. Immediately below the jack is a selector 3 having one or more selecting butts 4 which can be arranged at diflerent levels on different selectors in the usual way. In addition to the selecting butts which are used for the pattern proper there are a number of other butts which are used to produce various rib formations which may be more permanent features of the articles being produced such as 1/1 and 2/2 ribs for the top and a plain foot bottom. The butts 5, 6 and 7 for these purposes are preferably on a part of the selector which is separate from that carrying the patterning butts. This arrangement makes it easier to change the patterning butt set-out for a different kind of pattern and also reduces the number of different selectors required. These two parts are shaped to interlock with one another so that when in position in the trick they act throughout as one piece. The upper end of the selector is formed with an angle 8 to engage the lower end 9 of the jack so that when the selector is raised the lower end of the jack is cammed outwardly bringing the lower butt of the jack from its inner position buried in the trick into its outer position where it can be engaged by cams.

At each of the three selecting points there is as above indicated a pattern drum with racking mechanism to rotate it at such periods and intervals as are required by the pattern. On the surface of the drum projecting pins are set-out in known manner according to the pattern and these pins are in rows for engagement respectively with the selector levers in the bank of such levers. When one end of a selector lever rests on the top of a pin the other end of the lever is held away from the surface of the needle cylinder.

If a pin is removed from a part of a drum co-operating with a selector lever the end of the lever remote from the drum will be spring-urged towards the surface of the needle cylinder and will engage and raise any patterning butts which are placed at that level. The selector lever ends which raise these selectors by the patterning butts are indicated diagrammatically at 10, 11 and 12.

Those at 10 are for selection for transferring and those at 11 are for selection for floating at the main feed point, and at 12 for selection for floating at the second feed point.

Two butts 13 and 14 on the selector head straddle a ring of cams 15 which more or less fits between the butts at all points in the circle except at the three selecting points where three cut-away portions 16, 17 and 18 allow the selectors to be raised by the selector levers to rock the jacks. As a jack approaches the selecting point of the lever ends 11 for floating at the main feed a cam 19 ensures that the lower butt of the jack is buried in the trick, and a cam relief 20 makes room for the upper butt to project. Cams 15 and 19 are part of the first patterning means which cause selected needles to be retained in the lower cylinder. If the selector 3 is not raised the lower jack butt remains buried in the trick and passes behind the cam 21. The upper butt is now positively held out and is engaged by and rises up cam 22. This carries the knitting butt 32 of the slider LS above the cam corner 23 and the needle slider is positioned in a track which will cause the needle to clear and knit at the main feed point. If on the other hand the selector is raised at this same selecting point the lower jack butt is projected .and the upper jack butt depressed. The lower jack butt is engaged and lowered by cam 21 and the upper butt passes behind cam 22. The slider knitting butt then passes below the cam corner 23 and the needle will not clear and will miss the yarn and cause the latter to be floated at the main feed point. Cam 22 forms part of the second patterning means which cause movement of selected needles to an inoperative non-knitting position.

The jacks which have been raised by cam 22 are lowered by cam 24 which brings them to the level and position for the selection for transferring. Other jacks associated with needles previously transferred to the top cylinder are similarly lowered from a higher level by cam 24. The level to which the cam 24 takes the jack-s leaves the bottom of each jack clear of the selector head of its selector 3 so that unless the selector is raised the lower jack butt remains buried in the trick and the upper jack butt remains projected (the cam 25 is withdrawn during patterning) and is engaged by and rises up cam 26. Cams 22, 24, 26 form part of the third patterning means which cause the remaining needles to move to the upper cylinder. The jacks associated with needles which have been selected to float, that is, those which were lowered by cam 21 are not in a position to be selected for transferring because the cam 21 lowers the jacks into engagement with the selector heads and ensures that the lower jack butts pass the transfer selecting point in the projected position and whether the selectors are raised or not, the lower jack butts pass below cam 27 and the upper jack butts pass behind cam 26. This is the solution to one of the main problems-that a needle which has been selected to float cannot, while in the floating track, be selected to transfer Whatever the pattern setout may indicate. A jack whereof the upper butt has passed down the cam 24 and which is operated through its selector by one of the selector levers at 10 has its lower butt projected and caused to pass also below cam 27 to select its needle for non-transfer. The corresponding slider LS being already in a knitting track causes its needle to knit while remaining in the lower cylinder.

The transfer cam 28 of the upper cylinder is in its operative position during patterning and engages the transfer butts 31 of the sliders US in the upper needle cylinder. This causes any needles which are held by these sliders to be transferred down, the dividing cam 29 separating the slider from the needle and the cam 30 v supporting the sliders in the lower cylinder by their knitting butts 32. Thus all needles are in the lower cylinder ready for actuation by their jacks for upward transfer. When the upper jack butts are raised by the cam 26"the associated sliders are also raised and their transfer butts 33' are-raised, from .a line which is clear of the bottom transfer cam 34, up to a height where they are safely engaged by that cam which raises then still further and transfers their needles to the upper cylinder. The upper butts of the jacks which have caused the needles to transfer now pass along track 35, down cams 36 and 37 and then are raised by cam 38 which carries the knitting butts 32 of the sliders above the camcorner 3S and ensures that the sliders are at the correct height for receiving the needles as they are transferred down. The upper butts of. these jacks then pass on to and down cam 24-. By their upper butts passing along track 35 after having causedtthe needles to transfer, these jacks are out of reach of the selectors at the selecting point 12 for floating at the second feed and so, whatever the pattern set-out, their sliders are raised to the transfer receiving height. Only those jacks which are now raised by cam 26 are at the level to be alfected by the raising action of selectors at point 12, and only those whichare not raised by cam 38 are at the level to be affected by the raising action of selectors at point '11. Thus, only those sliders which carry a needle can be selected to pass into a float track, whatever the pattern set-out may indicate.

The raising of the upper jack butts by cam 38 takes the slider knitting butts up to heel height. This is not necessary from the patterning point of view as it is only necessary to raise the sliders to clearing height to receive the'needles being transferred down, but by giving the extra-lift to heel height it is possible to do away with the usual bottom latchguard as the slider tail, in rising to heel height, holds back the rib latch until it is safely behind the upper, and now only, latchguard 40. The

.sliders are lowered after delivering the latches behind the latchguard by the cam 41. The same method is used in connection with the latchguard associated with the main feed point, and after the selected needles have, been transferred-to the top cylinder the sliders are lowered, by cam 42 engaging their transfer butts, to heel height where they hold open the rib latches until they are safely behind the latchguard 43, and they are then lowered by cam 44. It will be appreciated that the improved selecting method and means according to the invention introduce a range of patterning possibilities not previously practicable on circular knitting machines by enabling links-links patterning-to be combined effectively with float or tuck patterning. Furthermore it will be appreciated that at each knitting station the machine may be equipped with a plurality of alternative yarn feeders and associated yarn changing mechanism to enable yarns of diiferent colours to be introduced alternatively, thereby further increasing therrange of novel patterning possibilities.

What I claim is: '7 '1. In a knitting machine of'thetype described, in combination, an upper cylinder having tricks; a lower cylinder having tricks; a set of needles slidable in said tricks between said upper and lower cylinders; first patterning means for'retaining selected needles in said lower cylinder; second patterning means for effecting movement of selected needles to assume an inoperative non-knitting position, said first and second patterning means being located at the same knitting station of said knitting machine and being operatively connected with said lower knitting cylinder, said second patterning means being operatively connected to said first patterning means and controlled to act only on the needles which are retained by said first patterning means in said lower cylinder; and third patterning means for shifting the remaining needles of said set of needles to said upper cylinder.

2. In a knitting machine of' the type described, in combination, an upper cylinder having tricks; 21 lower cylinder having tricks; a set of needles slidable in said tricks between said upper and lower cylinders; first patterning means including cam means for retaining selected needles in said lower cylinder; second patterning means including cam means for eifecting movement of selected needles to assume an' inoperative non-knitting posrtron,

said first and second patterning means being located ,at' the same knitting station of said knitting machine and being operatively connected with said lower knitting cylrn der, said second patterning means being operatively con: nected to said first patterning means and controlled to act only on the needles which are retained by said first patterning means in said lower cylinder; and third pat: terning means including cam means for shifting the re maining needles of said set of needles to said upper cylinder. 7

3. In a knitting machine of the type described, in combination, an upper cylinder having tricks; a lower cylinder having tricks; a set of needles slidable in said tricks between said upper and lower cylinders; 'jacks in said tricks of said lower cylinder; slides in said tricks of said lower cylinder and operated by said jacks to operate said needles; selector members for shifting selected jacks; first patterning means including'cam means controlling said jacks for retaining selected needles in said lower cylinder; second patterning means including cam means control ling said jacks for eifecting movement of selected needles to assume an inoperative non-knitting position, said first and second patterning means being located at the same knitting station of said knitting machine and being opera -tively connected with said lower knitting cylinder, said second patterning means being operatively connected to,

said first patterning means and controlled to act only on the jacks of the needles which are retained by said first patterning means in said lower cylinder; and third;

patterning means including cam means controlling said jacks for shifting the remaining needles of said set of needles to said upper cylinder. T V

4. In a knitting machine of the type described, in combination, an upper cylinder having tricks; a lower cylinder having tricks; a set of needles slidable in said tricks between said upper and lower cylinders; jacks in said tricks of said lower cylinder and being rockable between a first position and a second position; slides in said tricks of said lower cylinder and operated by said jacks in said first position to operate said needles; selector members for shifting selected jacks from said first position to saidsecond position; selector levers having cam'faceis for operating said selected members; first patterning means including cam means controlling said jacks for retaining selected needles in said lower cylinder; seco'nd patternterning means being located at the same knitting station' of said knitting machine and being operatively connected with said lower knitting cylinder, said secondpatterning means being operatively connected to said first patterning means and controlled to act only on the jacks of the needles which are retained by said first patterning means in said lower cylinder; and third patterning means including cam means controlling said jacks for shifting the remaining needles of said set of needles to said upper cylinder. a v

5. A machine as set forth in claim 4 and including eam means cooperating with said jacksof needles in said upper cylinder for maintaining said sliders of said needles in a position for receiving the respectivetassociated needles during the downward movement from the upper cylinder to the lower cylinder. 7 v 6. A machine as set forth in claim 5 wherein said sliders of said needles in said upper cylinder are arranged and constructed so that they are raised to a higher position at a knitting station by said cam means; said needles having rib latches; and a single guard cooperating with said latches of said needles in said higher position for maintaining said latches in an open position. a

7. A machine as set forth in claim'6 including a main 9 feeding means for feeding a yarn at said knitting station; and including at least one additional feeding means located at an auxiliary knitting station.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,685,187 Deans Aug. 3, 1954 

